Hue to open royal citadel at night for tourists to escape summer heat

A gate into Hue's Imperial Citadel at night. Photo by VnExpress/Minh Tri

'Those ancient walls sparkling with night light will draw a lot of tourists.'

Vietnam's former capital Hue plans to open its popular Imperial City to tourists at night next summer, when the heat of the day discourages many from outdoor activities.

Phan Thanh Hai, director of the Hue Former Citadel Conservation Center, told local media the center would open part of the Imperial City at night during the summer. It currently opens for just one week every two years during the Hue Festival.

Hue is normally 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) during the daytime between April and September.

Many tourists say the baking sun is exhausting and that they would prefer to visit local attractions at night instead, Hai said.

Hue was the seat of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 until the end of feudal Vietnam in 1945.

The former palace and the royal tombs that dot Hue’s outskirts helped draw 1.8 million tourists to Thua Thien-Hue Province in the first eight months of this year.

Hue also has plans to install an audio guide in five foreign languages at tourist attractions, along with e-tickets and free wi-fi.

The decision could be a good idea as there is currently not a lot of nightlife in Hue, other than bars and coffee shops, experts say. Crowds of people gather in the square in front the citadel at night, especially at the weekend.